Counter



L. E. JONES.

COUNTER. APPLICATION FILED APR. ML 1920.

ggg gg Patented. July 18, 1922.

2 SHtEiSSHEET l.

ATTORNEY WITNESSM L. E. JONES.

COUNTER. APPLIQATION FILED APR. 30. I920.

1,423,43Q atented uly 18, 1922.

2 SHEE'I S-SHEET 2.

' x /4 N" I 12 ATTORNEY WITNESSM .UNl'lED STATES LFUIRENCE E. JONES, OF WICHITA FALLS, TEXAS. I

\ COUNTER.

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Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 18, 1922.

Application filed April 30, 1920. Serial No. 377,890.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that LAURENCE E. Jones, a citizen of the United States, residing at Wichita Falls, in the county of Wichita and State of Texas, have invented new and useful Improvements in Counters, of which the following is a specification.

One of the objects of my present invention is the provision of a counter construction, designed more especially to be used in the five and ten cent-stores now in vogue, with a View to displaying the articles on sale to the best advantage, and contributing to economy of time and servicein the sale of the articles in units or in quantities. v

The invention also contemplates the provision of a counter construction that willlend itself readily to various arrangements in a store room so that the floor space may be used to the best advantage incident to the display of the goods and the transactions between the salesladies and the purchasers.

To the attainment of the foregoing the invention consists in the improvement as hereinafter described and definitely claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, hereby made a part hereof Figure 1 is a front elevation of a counter unit constructed in accordance with my invention.

Figure 2 is a plan viewof the counter unit showing the removable tray constituting the top of the unit.

Figure 3 is a vertical transverse section onan enlarged scale taken through the counter unit in the plane indicated by the line 33 of Figure 1, and showing one of the doors of the counter unit in its closed position by full lines and in its open position by dotted lines.

a Figure 4 is a detail longitudinal vertical section showing the arrangement of one of the end extensions of the counter.

Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure 3 but showing an arrangement of counter and suerimposed shelves when employed against a wall of the store room.

Figure 6 is a plan view illustrative of an arrangement of counter units of the type shown in Figure 1 in a store room in order to afford a maximum amount of floor space for the movements of prospective purchasers and salesladies.

Similar numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in all of the views of the drawings.

For the sake of convenience I will first describe the counter unit illustrated in Figures 1 2 and 3 of the drawing. By comparison of said figures it will be observed that the counter unit comprises a casing 1 having nd walls a bottom wall and back and front walls; the said casing being open at its top and being provided in its front wall with openings 2, spaced apart and designed to be normally closed by doors 3. In the casing 1 at an intermediate point in the height thereof'is ashelf 4. On this shelf and also on the bottom of the casing may be stored large quantities of articles corresponding in character to the articles displayed on the counter top 5, hereinafter described. The doors 3 are of swinging and sliding types-i. e., are adapted to be moved from the closed position shown by full lines in Figure 3 to the open position shown by dotted lines in said figure and vice versa. To the end stated the doors 3 may be associated with the casing 1 in any approved workmanlike manner, though I prefer to employ the construction shown in which each door 3 is provided at its upper end with trunnions 6 movable into and out of upper horizontal guideways 7 in the casing. When the doors 3 are closed the lower ends thereof are adapted to rest behind retaining flanges 8 at the lower ends of the door openings 2, and the upper ends of the doors are adapted to rest behind retaining flanges 80; it being understood in this connection that the bars in which the guideways 7 are formed, are spaced back of the flanges 80, Figure 3. The top 5 of the counter is flanged at 9 to prevent edgewise or horizontal displacement thereof from the casing 1, and at its upper side the said top 5 is provided with upstanding marginal flanges 9 to prevent the sliding of articles on sale from the top. The advantage of the said flanges 9 will be bet ter appreciated when it is stated that the upper side of the top 5 is pitched in the direction of the width of the top, as indicated by 10, and is also pitched endwise as indicated by 11 adjacent to the ends of the top so as to display the goods to better .advantage. Manifestly when desired the top 5 of tray-like character with articles thereon may be quickly and conveniently transferred from the casing 1 shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3 to another casing 1 located in another part of a store room as when it is desired to disvplay a certain line of goods which for the ticular part of a store room.

In the practical use of the counter as described it will be apparent that the articles of commodity, of different descriptions may be displayed in small quantities and to great advantage on the top 5, and that larger quantities of the said articles may be stored on the shelf 1 in vertical alinement with groups of corresponding articles on the top 5. For instance if a group of door knobs is displayed on the top 5 above one of the doors 3, a considerable number of door knobs will be stored on the shelf portion 4 that is adjacent to or back of the particular door referred to. Consequently if a purchaser is attracted by the said door knobs and wishes to purchase a considerable'quantity of the same, all that it is necessary for the saleslady to do is to move the particular door 3 referred to to open position and then remove the number of knobs desired from the shelf 4, after which the door is closed. From this it follows that the purchaser desiring a considerable number of the knobs will be supplied without disturbing the display on the top 5, and with the expenditure of but little time and effort on the part of the saleslady. This scheme of course is carried out throughout the capacity of the counter unit, and it will be understood that at intervals the sup ply of different articles on the shelf 4 and also on the bottom of the casing 1 will be replenished.

I prefer to provide each of the counter units with end extensions 12, Figures 3, 4

time being mav be a special line in a parand 6. When not in use these end extensions 12 are socketed in the upper end portions of the casing 1. When however, it is desired to display special articles for sale the end extensions 12 may be moved out to the full extent, and the special articles may be superimposed thereon so as to be displayed to advantage. Outward movement of the end extensions 12 is limited by the stops 13 at the inner ends thereof, and inward movement of said extensions 12 is limited by the moulding sections 1 1 which are adapted when the extensions 12 are fully socketed in the casing to rest flush with the pendent portions 1 1 at the ends of the top 5 so as to enhance the finished appearance of the counter.

The shelf 4 of the counter unit may be charged with goods through the openings 2 or through the top of the casing 1 when said casing top is open and the counter top 5 is removed. I do not desire however to be understood as confining myself to having the casing top open inasmuch as the said casing top may be closed without involving departure from the scope of my invention.

By reference to Figure 6 it will be observed that the counters or counter units such as shown in Figures 1 to 4 may be variously arranged to advantage on the floor of a store room. For instance the counter units may be arranged back to back in pairs, and when deemed expedient a hanging rack 16-i. e., a rack upon which goods may be hung, may be employed iiiiconjunction with each pair of counters or counter units. When the counters or counter units are arranged in pairs as stated it will be manifest that floor space is provided at the fronts and also at the ends of the counters or counter units for the free movement of both customers and salesladies.

By reference to Figure 5 it will be ob- I advantage. the goods may be displayed so as to attract the eye of a prospective purchaser, and when a purchaser desires a considerable quantity of any one of the articles of commodity displayed the wants of the purchaser may be quickly and easily filled by the saleslady without the necessity of her leaving the vicinity of the counter.

Having described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters-Patcut, is: y

The combination of a casing having a bottom wall and side walls and also having an opening in one of said side walls, spaced above said bottom wall, bars arranged in the casing with their forward ends spaced from the side wall having the opening, in the same horizontal plane as the upper portion of said opening, and having guideways, and a door tocontrol said opening, said door arranged when closed to rest on said bottom wall back ofthe lower portion of said side wall, and being movable vertically to clear the portion of the side wall and swing outwardly be yond the wall portion below the openin-. and being provided with trunnions slidabi e rearwardly in said guideways, whereby on opening of the door the opening will be entirely unobstructed and the door will be entirely out of the way for the removal of goods through the opening.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

LAURENCE E. JONES. 

